Owning commercial property has its ups and downs. Most of the time, everything runs smoothly, and the process of managing your properties fairs well. However, even the best property manager can encounter a few hiccups.

One of the key aspects of property management is to ensure that their clients are satisfied, as long as it is reasonable, of course. However, tenants may sometimes have a gripe with a few aspects of their unit. If you have a property manager, you can expect them to handle the issue professionally and make informed decisions when solving the conflict. However, understanding the common tenant complaints will help you in many ways when trying to resolve their issues.

Some of these complaints include:

1. Delayed and lack of proper response

Communication is key when handling properties. Since your tenants are your clients, you need to be responsive and reassuring if they send an email that says any specific issue or complaint. You also need to pick up right away if they’re ringing your phone. Delayed or lack of proper communication is a common complaint from tenants, which can be easily avoided.

Make sure you answer whenever your tenants are calling. Call back if you missed their calls. Respond to their emails no matter if you feel like their complaints are invalid or unrelated to you. Doing these things give your clients the impression that you are listening to them and value them as your clients.

2. Maintenance issues

Maintenance issues are commonplace in the property market. As a property owner, expect that you will receive these complaints more often than not. While specific property problems can be as minimal as a faucet leak or malfunctioning electrical switches, you need to ensure that you’re always available to help them by properly handling their requests.

It’s also important to set up an effective way for clients to raise any concerns with the property. Doing so will streamline the entire complaint resolution process, making it easier for you and your tenants. Additionally, you want to make your clients feel that you’re with them every step of the way. You can do this by calling every now and then to check if their problems have been resolved.

3. Noise complaints

Although noise complaints are extremely common, they’re among the trickiest to solve. For one, it can be intimidating to be the messenger of the complaint, especially if it’s not entirely your responsibility to address. That said, you want to keep your clients satisfied and try to find effective ways of diffusing the situation.

It’s relatively easy to address noise complaints if the cause is from another tenant. However, if the noise problem is not caused by a tenant, it can be a delicate situation.

In such cases, you may offer additional insulation and soundproof your tenant’s unit. You can also suggest for the tenant to try and resolve the problem with the neighbour peacefully.

Conclusion

In property management, dealing with tenant complaints is a given. While most complaints are fair and simple, some property owners tend to overlook the situation, and as a result, their tenants feel unappreciated.

By reassuring your tenants that you’re always listening to their requests, you maintain a good relationship with them, allowing you to have good clients for the long-term. However, if you have more than a few properties, it can get complicated to handle your clients’ requests on your own. For this reason, you can always turn to property managers for help.

Fahel & Co is a leading property management company in Ottawa. If you’re looking for someone to help you handle your properties and resolve tenant issues, we’re just what you need. Send us a message to learn more!

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